Blog Posts tagged with "reenactor"

I'll admit I've never been big on history, but there's something surreal about visiting the tiny villages our American Soldiers helped liberate 67 years ago. After meeting several D-Day veterans, walking on the beaches where thousands fought and died, and seeing the steep cliffs where they encountered enemy fire made history real for me. It's no longer just a documentary or war movie on television.

Seeing the French people here in Sainte-Mere-Eglise dressed up in WWII-era American military uniforms tells me these people want to continue to remember the sacrifices our troops made during World War II. At least during this week each year, they do not take their freedom for granted. It truly touched my heart to see American flags on cars, people and businesses everywhere. Outside of military installations, I haven't seen that since moving to Europe four years ago.

The majority of the people joining in the D-Day commemoration events weren't even born in 1944, but they remember. The streets were lined with American flags all week, and thousands of people clapped and cheered as our American troops marched through the small town of Sainte-Mere-Eglise after the June 5 ceremony for peace. The rainy weather didn't seem to deter anyone, as there was barely space to move. Little kids wore military uniforms bearing the patches of the 101st and 82nd airborne divisions and waited in line to have their pictures taken with veterans and current Soldiers. The reverence their grandparents and great-grandparents felt for the troops that liberated their French villages obviously has been passed down through the generations.

When I met Jim "Pee Wee" Martin, who served in the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division on D-Day, I had to fight back tears. It has been 67 years, but he still comes back to France because so many of his comrades died here, and he wants to honor them even now. That level of dedication shows how he believes in what he did. I can only hope the memories of the thousands of troops who have given their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan in the modern-day conflicts have the same dedicated battle buddies who will continue to share their stories for generations to come.

Kelli Bland
Outreach Chief
USEUCOM Public Affairs